Service Description: One of the easiest and most popular ways of engaging in the democratic process is to sign a petition. A petition is a good way to bring issues to the attention of our councillors and influence local decision making. A full copy of the Council’s petition scheme can be found at the end of the Council’s Constitution which can be viewed by clicking on the "view website" link below. Petitions should be sent to the Corporate Governance Manager, Isle of Wight Council, County Hall, Newport, PO30 1UD. To set up a petition you can use our printable petition template (below).
Answer: A petition should be relevant to some issue on which the council has powers or duties or on which it has shared delivery responsibilities. It should also be submitted in good faith and be decent, honest and respectful. You may wish to have a look at the council’s Forward Plan (http://www.iwight.com/council/what_is_a_council/Forward_Plan/) which lists all of the key decisions to be taken by the council in the coming months to see if the petition you have in mind relates to any of these issues. Your petition should not: • contain intemperate, inflammatory, abusive or provocative language • be defamatory, frivolous, vexatious, discriminatory or otherwise offensive • contain false statements • be too similar to another petition submitted within the past six months • disclose confidential or exempt information, including information protected by a court order or government department • disclose material which is otherwise commercially sensitive • name individuals, or provides information where they may be easily identified, eg individual officers of public bodies, or makes criminal accusations • contain advertising statements • refer to an issue which is currently the subject of a formal council complaint, Local Ombudsman complaint or any legal proceedings If your petition relates to an issue which is beyond the powers of the council to address, it may be more appropriate to start an e-petition on the Number 10 website (http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/).